Best Years
by lrhaboggle
Summary: Stephan is dead but Maleficent still wants revenge. After all, he had taken away the best years of her life so it was only fair she did the same. Or maybe she had already. Come to think of it, maybe her ultimate punishment against him had already passed and it only took her this long to see it. Maybe her punishment had been far worse than anything he had done to her.


Maleficent towered over the pathetic pile of rocks that marked King Stephan's grave. The man had been dead for almost half a year now and the whole kingdom was still rejoicing. Stephan might've been the king, but every single one of his subjects had secretly despised him. His selfishness blinded him and brought about so much suffering to everyone else that not a single tear was shed for him in the wake of his death. Instead, the kingdom was filled with relief that their tyrant of a leader had finally been put down for good. Their suffering and his evil ambitions had died with him and none of them were missed by anyone.

The kingdom was more than happy to welcome the new heir to the throne, Princess Aurora, as their next leader. She was Stephan's child, but she couldn't have been any more different than him if she had tried. Where he was anger, impulsiveness, vengeance, greed, selfishness and destruction, she was love, patience, gentleness, forgiveness and healing. The people adored her, but what wasn't there to adore about Aurora?

Maleficent smiled at the thought. It did her aged heart well to know how different Aurora was from her father. Even more than their personalities, what they managed to achieve as the leader of the kingdom was completely different as well. While Stephan had waged decades of war between his kingdom and the fairy kingdom, Aurora was already making leaps and bounds to mend the bonds that her wicked father had ruined and severed. There was still much wariness on either side of the war, but Aurora, like her name, was ushering in a new dawn, and this one looked far better than the one that Stephan had brought about.

No. Not just Stephan. As much as he was to blame, both for the suffering of his own kingdom and of the fairy kingdom, he was not the only one responsible. One could not wage war without an enemy. Who had that enemy been? It had been Maleficent herself. Although she had been nowhere near as monstrous as Stephan, she was no saint either and had pushed for war just as violently. He was not alone in his guilt. She was responsible as well. But it hadn't always been like that. The humans and fay had not always been bitter rivals, nor had Stephan and Maleficent. If anything, the deterioration of their kingdom was only a larger-scale representation of their own relationship…

Once upon a time, Stephan and Maleficent had been friends. Lovers, even! And those had been some of the very best years of Maleficent's life. Maleficent had truly loved the human boy. But alas, he had not loved her as much as she had loved him. As much as Stephan may have loved Maleficent, he loved himself just a little bit more…

Now, Maleficent did not regret what happened to Stephan, she was just as happy about his death as everyone else in the kingdom, but she did regret all of the innocent lives that she and he both took in their quarrel. In fact, even Aurora had been a casualty! Blessedly, her death had not been permanent, but she was the only victim of this human-fairy war that could make such a claim. No one else had ever been as fortunate. That was what Maleficent regretted. And she regretted ever harming Aurora in the first place. What had she been thinking, dragging an innocent life into a war that did not concern her?! How was that fair or right? How did that make her any better than the monster she claimed Stephan was?

But that was just it. In those days, Maleficent _was_ a monster. So consumed by rage, hatred, grief, bitterness and vengeance, she had lost her sense of mercy, compassion, care and justice. Her brokenness blinded her and she had not seen Aurora as an innocent life, or even a life at all! She had not seen Aurora as a creature with feelings, fears, hopes and dreams that would one day grow into an adult woman just like she was. All she had seen was a pawn, a way to get back at Stephan for what he had done to her. In that one split second, that was all that had mattered. Maleficent hadn't seen a baby, she had seen tool, and she had acted accordingly.

But in her eyes, that was only fair! Stephan had taken some of the best years of her life and twisted them, corrupted them, tainted them so completely that she could no longer look to them as sources for comfort or joy. In his betrayal of her, drugging her and stealing her wings like a thief in the night, Stephan had not just taken away his future with Maleficent, he had taken away her past with him as well. She could no longer look upon her memories with him as things of joy and wonder. She could only see them as twisted shadows and cruel mockeries. He had taken some of the very best years of her life and damaged them irreversibly.

In her mind's eye, it was only fair to do the same to him: hurt his child and take his best years away too. Curse the child to die at a tender age so that he would know what it felt like to love and lose. Ruin his best years, take them away before they even got started, then taint them so that living through them would be like waking up in Hell every single day of his life until the Day of Reckoning came to pass. It would be just life what he had done to her: taken away her best years.

But only just cursing Stephan's infant daughter was not enough for Maleficent. Not anymore. Instead, she continued to taunt and torment him endlessly. She continued to take away his best years. Every day for 16, she waged war upon him in all forms: physical, mental and emotional. She took away his best years by bringing him to madness, bringing his kingdom to ruin, waging war against them all. She took away the best years of his life by destroying his life, mind and home. She made him so insane and paranoid, that he was literally unable to enjoy anything good that life might've given to him. She took away the best years of his life by destroying everything he held dear so that there was nothing left for him to have faith in. She took away the best years of his life by forcing him to spend years and years militarizing and trying to rebuild what she had destroyed, just like he had done to her. She took away the best years of his life by keeping him from ever being able to build up and grow and move forward. She took everything from him and kept him trapped in an everlasting Hell. She took what should've been his best years, as both a father and king to a beautiful and prosperous kingdom and destroyed it all, just like he had done to her.

Now, though? He was dead. King Stephan was dead, and Maleficent's revenge had been forced to die with him. Whether she liked it or not, she could no longer punish a man who was no longer alive to endure it.

"But you still have a lot to answer for," Maleficent told King Stephan's grave. "Perhaps you are dead, but you still have a lot to answer for… And perhaps Aurora and the others have forgiven you in light of your passing, but I have not, and I do not see why I should," she continued, a scowl starting to creep its way across her pale and pointed face. "You hurt me, more than words could ever describe, and you took away the one thing I could never get back: time. It was only fair that you paid the same price, but you cannot suffer that loss anymore, dead as you are. But you certainly should still be alive because I was not finished. You took away my time, I wasn't through taking yours. I have not yet taken the very best years of your life. You are lucky to have escaped when you did…"

The horned fairy broke off, scowl fading slightly. Such bitter outbursts were habitual for her and they weren't easy to break, but at the same time, she did still want to get better. She wanted to improve and heal and that would not happen if she ever allowed herself to become too far gone in her grief and anger again. There was nothing wrong with feeling bitter, she just had to be careful it never got to such a low point again…

"Fairy Godmother?" a soft, cheerful voice called out to Dark Fairy. A smile involuntarily flickered onto her face in response.

"Hello, Beastie," she murmured softly as Aurora bounced happily over to her.

"Come on, the people want to see you!" the new, young queen said.

"The humans?" Maleficent was genuinely surprised, but Aurora nodded confidently.

"They're still scared of you, but they're willing to at least see you," she said.

"Well, that's progress," Maleficent remarked dryly.

"Isn't it?" asked Aurora, far more genuine in her happiness. Maleficent's dry smile softened. Her little Beastie always knew just how to cheer her up. And upon seeing Maleficent's smile, the little Beastie in question felt her own smile begin to grow even wider than it already was! Then she realized where exactly it was that they were standing.

"Are you ok?" Aurora's smile faded slightly and concerned filled her bright blue eyes.

"Yes," Maleficent replied, her own smile vanishing the second she realized what had caused this sharp change in Aurora's own mood.

"Are you still worried about him?" Aurora asked, nodding to the grave marker. She never called him "father", for she had not known him well enough to feel comfortable using such a term. And after seeing what a monster he was, she wasn't so sure she wanted to call him a father anyway.

Of course she knew some of his anger was justified, but after seeing just how ruthless he could really be, even to Maleficent, Aurora knew at once that King Stephan could've never been her father. Even if he had lived, it would've never worked out. They never would've ever connected. Any chance of fatherhood that King Stephan used to have dried up the moment he chose vengeance over family.

It wasn't that he didn't understand, it was that he refused. He refused to see Maleficent as anything other than evil. Even after saving Aurora's life and proving that she had changed for the better, Stephan had still been convinced that she was a monster. That was what had led to his literal downfall and that was why Aurora knew he could never be her father. Not really. Not fully. And she could not cry for a man she never knew.

"No," Maleficent finally answered Aurora's gentle question, her tone still flat and empty.

"Then may I ask why you are standing at his grave?" Aurora tried again.

"You may," Maleficent replied. "But I may not answer."

"I suppose I understand," Aurora sighed, knowing that any other question she tried to ask would only be met with another sarcastic remark. Instead, she only reached out a hand and gently touched Maleficent's arm.

For a time, the pair just stood there, together in silence, staring down at King Stephan's grave. It was more than he deserved, both of them thought. At last, though, Maleficent began to speak.

"I was just thinking," she said. "We wasted so much of our time trying to get back at each other. We always said that we wanted to take away the best years of each other's lives just to avenge ourselves and look what that did to us," she paused, waving all around them. "By trying to take each other's time, we lost so much of our own and I bitterly regret it."

"You didn't know," Aurora whispered.

"But that's not the point," Maleficent replied. "I know now, and it wasn't even just my time or his. I took away the best years of so many other lives as well…" the fairy broke off, impossibly sad eyes staring into Aurora's soul.

"No you didn't," Aurora promised, knowing at once what that look meant. "You didn't take away anything from me."

"But I did!" Maleficent protested. "You could've grown up a princess instead of a peasant, and you might have had real parents, not those three blithering idiots you called aunties!" the Dark Fairy paused to scowl at the thought of Aurora's three incompetent "aunties". Thistlewit, Knotgrass and Flittle. They were probably the dumbest fairies in the Moors.

Aurora laughed a little in response to Maleficent's harsh criticism of the foolish trio, but she couldn't 100% disagree. Maleficent did have a point that Thistlewit, Knotgrass and Flittle weren't exactly the best of parents. But at least they tried. At least they cared. At least they actually loved Aurora. Even if they had failed at everything else, Thistlewit, Knotgrass and Flittle had genuinely loved Aurora and that was more than she could've asked for. It was something she would never forget, or let go unpaid. But as grateful as Aurora was for her three surrogate mothers, that didn't mean she couldn't have a laugh at their expense every once in a while.

Maleficent, meanwhile, failed to see the humor of the situation. She could only stare at her little Beastie in slight confusion. This wasn't exactly a comedic moment, so she did not understand why Aurora was laughing so much at the mention of the three stooges that had "raised" her.

"Ok, ok," Aurora finally managed to control her laughter. "I suppose you are right that those three weren't the best parents…"

"And that's putting it lightly," Maleficent interrupted with a scoff.

"But they _did_ try and, all things considered, my life wasn't that bad," Aurora continued on. "I mean, imagine what it might've been like if I _had_ grown up here…" the girl stared up at the castle's still-unforgiving walls and shivered. Maybe Maleficent's curse had been a blessing after all…

"But if I hadn't done what I did, that would not have been an issue either," Maleficent followed Aurora's gaze up to the castle. "I took away the best years of your life just because I was trying so hard to take away the best years of his. I claimed to be against the selfishness of mankind, failing to see how very selfish I was being myself," Maleficent sighed sadly, looking back down.

"No you didn't," Aurora repeated, taking Maleficent's hands in her own and encouraging the fairy to look into her eyes. "You may have taken 16 years of my life away, but surely I still have many more yet to come. Who says those ones cannot be the best years of my life instead? Who says that best years have to be the first 16? In fact, who says that every year can't the best year? They will be the best because I will make them so," she said determinedly, caressing Maleficent's hands as she continued to hold them tightly in her own.

"Oh, Beastie…" Maleficent gave a soft sigh of awe at Aurora's stubborn and endless optimist. It never ceased to amaze and touch her.

"Besides," Aurora continued. "You may have taken away some years, but you gave me some in return!"

"Have I?" Maleficent raised a dark eyebrow in genuine question, to which Aurora nodded back happily.

"Don't you remember all of our encounters when I was just a child?" she asked, and then she reminded Maleficent of all the times they had met before. And even after the two had finally gotten to know one another, Maleficent had remained by Aurora's side, giving her many wonderful nights in the magical and mystical Kingdom of the Moors. How could Maleficent say she had taken the best years of Aurora's life when she had given so much in return? As far as Aurora was concerned, even if there was some "debt" Maleficent owed her, it had already been paid for.

"And what about now?" Aurora continued. "You promised to stay by my side for the rest of my life even if I chose to spend it in the human kingdom. Isn't that giving me my years back?"

"I suppose," Maleficent finally began to see what Aurora was getting at. The girl beamed in response.

"See? You may have taken away some years, but you're giving them back now, and more!" she cried. "And honestly, since the concept of having best years is so subjective anyway, you might've saved me from some of the worst years of my life for all we know!" she added with a laugh.

"Ok, Beastie, ok. You win," Maleficent finally conceded, a smile spreading across her face once again. Her Beastie really did always know just what to say and do to make her feel better…

"But you said that the _peasants_ wish to meet me?" the Dark Fairy asked at last, returning to the original subject at hand.

"Oh, don't call them that!" Aurora pleaded. "They were only peasants because they didn't have anything else, because of _him_. Call them people. Humans. It's what they are, after all. Their suffering was not their fault."

"Fine," Maleficent rolled her eyes just a little. As charming as Aurora's kindness was, sometimes it did get a little out of hand. "You said that the _people_ wanted to see me?" she corrected herself.

"Yes," Aurora replied, trying to hide a triumphant smile.

"Fine then, but I won't promise not to bite," Maleficent smirked.

"Godmother!" Aurora triumphant smile changed into a look of exasperation, although she knew that the Dark Fairy was only joking. Sort of. With any luck, Maleficent _would_ resist the temptation to _intentionally_ scare the citizens, but Maleficent could be quite dramatic and ferocious at times…

"Alright," Maleficent replied, pretending to sigh heavily. "Let's go eat- errrr, _meet_ the people," she winked and smirked, taking Aurora's hand and leading her back towards the center of the kingdom, Aurora rolling her eyes as she followed after. Neither of them looked back at Stephan's grave as they left, not even once and not even a little…

Later that night, however, Maleficent found herself standing at Stephan's grave once again. This time, though, it was for a new purpose.

"I think I _have_ managed to exact my ultimate revenge against you," she told the marker. "I think I _did_ take away the very best years of your life… And not only that, but I almost feel sorry for you… I think that what I have taken away from you is far worse than what you had taken away from me…" the Dark Fairy trailed off, her eyes scanning the castle before they settled upon one particular set of windows. Although she could not see it, she knew that her goddaughter lay behind those windows, sleeping. Not an enchanted sleep, of course! Just a regular, nighttime sleep. That was how Aurora was resting now. Peaceful, safe and happy…

"Aurora said that the concept of "best years" was too subjective to measure, but I think I disagree," Maleficent continued, slowly turning her gaze back down to Stephan's grave. "I think that best years _do_ exist and I think I have, in fact, finally managed to take yours from you. Like I said before, I am almost sorry, but that is because I never imagined myself capable of ever finding a punishment cruel enough for you. I think I have found it now, though. I have taken away all of your years with Aurora and I can think of no better years than those."

With those last, haunting words, the fairy queen took leave of the dead king and, with her massive wings spread to the stars, she flew back to her home in the Moors. She would be back for Aurora in the morning, just like always. And unlike Stephan, she would have the chance to see the girl wake up, both tomorrow and for many mornings after. Oh yes, the incoming years with Aurora would easily be the very best of all for Maleficent and, by stripping those very same years away from Stephan, she had managed to exact her perfect and ultimate revenge against him. He would never get to know what life with Aurora felt like and, like Maleficent herself had just said, there could be no crueler punishment than that.

 **AN: I loved this movie too much to not write at least one fic for it. There's just something so beautiful about mother-daughter bonds, especially this one. I'm sorry if you were hoping for a Diaval cameo, though. I wanted to add him in, but it felt too forced. This is mostly about Maleficent, after all, realizing that even though Stephan took so many years from her, in the end, she ended up taking far more from him.**

 **Of course, it would be infinitely tragic to lose a child, but wouldn't it be worse for that child to end up living with someone else? I saw a theory that even kind of hinted at this, saying that part of the reason Stephan was so mad at Maleficent was because she had essentially taken Aurora away from him. He never had the chance to watch her grow up and some people found that infinitely more tragic than if Maleficent had just killed Aurora the day she was born.**


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